Flickering Lights - Atlas SD-35

Looks like you have tmcc signal issue and i would unplug the boards and reseat and check if they are plugged in good as well.

Let me see, baby in one arm, cell phone taking video in one hand, Cab1 in the other!! Good Job!!!

Sorry, I can't help with the flickering though...

Jeff T posted:

Let me see, baby in one arm, cell phone taking video in one hand, Cab1 in the other!! Good Job!!!

 

Sorry, I can't help with the flickering though...

You got it!  It was lot's of fun

chessie1971 posted:

Looks like you have tmcc signal issue and i would unplug the boards and reseat and check if they are plugged in good as well.

Just unplug it and replug it back in? Do I need to reset the engine after that?

You don't have too but you can see if it helps. I never thought this could be programed wrong some engines had strobe light could be why headlight blinking. 

chessie1971 posted:

You don't have too but you can see if it helps. I never thought this could be programed wrong some engines had strobe light could be why headlight blinking. 

No luck   Any other thoughts aside from emailing Atlas directly?

If you have another radio control board from another engine i would swap them out and check see headlight flickers and also try changing channel on your remote.  

Atlas uses LED lights with just a resistor.  IF the engine was modifies you may have an issue with LED or a cold solder joint.  I assume both front and rear do this?  The other issue despite that it seems to run fine is the antenna may not be connected to board, or wire broke at solder joint of metal antenna attached to the mother board via a plastic post.   G

GGG posted:

Atlas uses LED lights with just a resistor.  IF the engine was modifies you may have an issue with LED or a cold solder joint.  I assume both front and rear do this?  The other issue despite that it seems to run fine is the antenna may not be connected to board, or wire broke at solder joint of metal antenna attached to the mother board via a plastic post.   G

Yes, both the front and back flicker at the same as well as the marker lights. What does the antenna look like, is it the flat metal piece in the picture below?

Yes,  Should  have wire soldered to it and plugged into board.  The other thing to do is a Reset of the R2lC. Directions in the manual so you know what # to use.  G

 Things that haven't been mentioned. 

(1.) I have had to clean the paint off the wheels of atlas models to improved common connection. Especially when the model was new.  Carefully, with Lacquer thinner and a Q-tip.

(2.) Later models would have (4) center track power pick-up rollers.  IMO.  Great improvement.

(3.) Atlas models have added capacitors to the track supply circuits, to enhance the inherent track to wheel continuity problems.   IMO another good improvement.

(4.) Pictured model is one of the first TMCC Atlas models R2LC board is probably 06 or before.   Later SD35 had EOB boards.

(5.) It was designed for a 9 volt battery to help maintain Railsounds in conventional mode.   I never used the batteries. It appears the battery is in your model.  Remove it or change it.   

(6.) If you change the R2LC board to an 08 or higher you may have some marker light wiring to change.

(7.) Mechanical note.  The hand rails are very fragile. 

The R2LC-C08 or later didn't have any light polarity changes, it was the transition between the C07 and C08 versions that the headlight outputs changed polarity.

Thanks for all the information guys! 

Mike CT - when I recieved the engine there was no battery, so the one pictured is new.  The model was shipped in 2002, so it has the one pickup roller per truck and I confirmed it ran fine prior to being sold to me.

I tried to run the engine in conventional mode and the lights worked fine - go figure! So does this mean something is wrong with the antenna?

Its either the antenna or the radio control board is bad . I have a Atlas SD35 made same year and i don't have any problems with signal or lights flickering on mine and no battery in it either.

The battery has absolutely nothing to do with the TMCC signal or the flickering lights.  It's sole function is to power the RailSounds when power is briefly lost with track irregularities or when powering down for the shutdown sounds.

As stated, top suspects are the antenna and wiring or the R2LC.

Clean the wheels,pickups and track.

I checked the antenna and everything looks good - no loose or broken connections.  I also checked the wheels, pickup rollers, and track and everything is clean.  So which board(s) is the R2LC below?  Thanks again guys!

The green box is your R2LC board.

How is your command base plug up? Power strip/ wall outlet?

Drew Madere posted:

How is your command base plug up? Power strip/ wall outlet?

Direclty into the wall.  I have don't have any issues with my our engine, a PE legacy berkshire.